


Playing with Magic

by koiffish



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 15:12:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13573212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koiffish/pseuds/koiffish
Summary: Nico plays with a polyjuice potion in an attempt to get even with Karolina. As usual, nothing goes as planned.





	Playing with Magic

"Watch it!

Nico suddenly dove for cover as they casually strolled around the grounds of Hogwarts. It was the late afternoon. They just came out of their Herbology class and were taking a break before dinner.

The other girls followed her example without a second thought, then something sphere-shaped and red went whizzing past their heads with just a couple of feet to spare.

They heard laughter from above while they lay sprawled on the grass and waiting for someone to declare safety. Nico stood up angrily, brushing bits of dirt from her robes. She put her hands on her hips and stared at the kids on their broomstick hovering in mid-air.

"Alright there, Minoru?" a girl with a blonde hair swept to a messy ponytail and wearing a Quidditch attire said. Another player swooped to the ground to pick up the scarlet ball and tossed it back to her, she caught it deftly.

She seemed to be the captain since none of her teammates in red and gold uniforms appeared to have the confidence to stop her teasing.

"Not funny!" Nico shouted, face red with embarrassment and fury. "You knuckle-headed pathetic excuses for Lions! You disgrace the name of Gryffindor, you great bullying idiots-"

Molly quickly covered Nico's mouth with her hand and dragged her - with too much difficulty even with Gert's help - to the other side of the grounds, away from the Quidditch pitch.

"Release me!" Nico's rage was not pacified yet, neither does her flailing. "I'll show those bloody cowards what a Minoru can do."

"I don't want a detention on this perfectly good week, thank you." Molly replied matter-of-factly. "Besides, they're flying. What are you gonna do, shoot them with arrows? Change to a bird?"

"That's not a bad idea," Nico's face turned mischievous.

"Yeah, okay," Gert shrugged doubtfully at this, her usual skepticism showing.

"You're not a metamorphmagi, so no can do, my friend."

"Not that," Nico smirked and winked at her friends. "Can't we hide in some discreet area and shoot them with spells?"

Her childhood friends donned in blue and bronze stared at her in disbelief.

"You crazy? Are you seriously trying to expel us!?"

Gert lifted a brow. "That would count as a direct assault and Professor Flitwick will not take it lightly. You will be given detentions to last several lifetimes."

Nico put her arms around her friends' shoulders. "Don't worry, I was kidding. Maybe I can just buy a dragon off black market and have it eat the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team."

Molly groaned in misery. "I sense another punishment. Why was I sorted to the same house as you?"

+

Nico has had enough of Karolina Dean's bullying ever since she stepped in to Hogwarts for her formal education five years ago.

They already clashed from the very first day to this very second. And Nico couldn't fathom why the Gryffindor girl was so insistent in making her school life a living hell.

The worst with this setup was that Karolina always get away easily, leaving Nico in a terrible mess causing her detention after detention. She probably had more detention than the whole Ravenclaw House put together. Her parents fear that it's only a matter of time before she gets expelled.

"We need to come up with a plan," she stated at breakfast one day, while hundreds- possibly near to a thousand owls soar overhead, heavily laden with parcels and packages and mails to deliver to their owners.

Ever since the end of the Second Wizarding War and the rebuilding of Hogwarts, the student population of the school doubled and so were the avian posts. It's a good thing that the new Great Hall was built even bigger with higher ceilings.

Molly pushed back a bowl of cereal before a small pink box landed with a thud exactly where the bowl had been. Her speckled owl gave an apologetic hoot before flying away.

"What plan?"

"I thought we already have a plan?" Gert chimed in behind a large leatherbound book, a copy of the Daily Prophet dropped beside her plate of unfinished pancakes.

Nico caught the package her owl let plummeting from above amidst of all the air traffic the birds were making.

"I mean to say a detailed plan," Nico clarified, distractedly ripping open the brown paper covering the package, it turned out to be fresh parchments and an assortments of quills. "With steps and directions, not just a vague 'let's get even' one."

"We'll work on it," Gert replied offhandedly, deeply immersed in her book.

"Uh-huh," Molly shrugged coolly, scrutinizing a silver locket that was the content of her box.

Nico rolled her eyes in disappointment for her friends' lack of interest. She couldn't blame them, since everything she comes up with will probably end with her getting yet another detention.

"I'm just tired, you know," she tried again, going for the dramatic route this time. "It's so exhausting to be in this position. A girl who was sorted to the supposed brainy house constantly in detention and the girl in the reckless house somehow always manages to outthink me."

Molly looked up from her locket. "I guess it's a replica."

Nico blinked in confusion. "What?"

"This locket," Molly displayed the silver pendant sitting on the center of her open palm. "I think it's a replica since I've already seen this design before from a history book, unless it's the real thing which I doubt because there's no way it could be bought for only two galleons and ten sickles."

Nico narrowed her eyes with uncertainty. "And why is that thing relevant again?"

Molly sighed gravely and shook her head slowly, as if Nico was a hopeless case.

"I was giving you hints, okay?" her voice lowered to a whisper though it wasn't really necessary because the general morning hubbub of the Great Hall drowned their conversation anyway.

"I think the reason why that Gryffindor girl is always one step ahead of you is that you're kind of predictable."

Nico's eyes went even narrower. "I beg you to elaborate before I misunderstand what you're trying to say."

"See?" Gert pointed out, looking up from her book. "You're so easy to provoke. You're like a bomb and Karolina's the detonator. It's as simple as pushing a button and then boom, hello detention."

Nico lifted a brow. "Bomb? Detonator?"

"Muggle Studies," Gert grinned smugly, proud of her extensive knowledge of the non-magical world.

"I agree with Gert- even if it pains me to admit it," Molly seconded. "If you want to get even, don't think like a Ravenclaw because Karolina already has a read on you. Do something that she would not imagine that you could do."

Gert nodded. "Exactly, you have to change tactics." Then turned to the girl sitting beside her. "Molly, do you still remember how to brew a Polyjuice Potion?"

+

Every 3 o'clock in the afternoon on Tuesdays, Nico shares an Art class with few of fifth-year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students, while Gert has Muggle Studies and Molly do Music.

Their class has just ended and everyone was occupied with packing up their brushes and paints and easels when Gert's owl flew straight to her through the open window of the classroom and dropped a piece of folded parchment on her lap.

Nico unfolded it expecting a letter from her friend, but her brows crossed when she found out that it bore no message whatsoever. It was empty.

"Hey," Iris - a Ravenclaw student - passed by behind her. "What's that? A secret letter?"

Realization hit Nico, her eyes brightened.

That's it, her friends sends her empty parchments whenever something huge is happening and they want to keep it hidden from everyone else. The only way to reveal the message on the paper was to write the password across it.

Nico grabbed a quill and dipped it in some ink, then quickly scrawled her password.

The ink from her quill sank deep within the parchment and vanished, leaving no trace. Seconds later, a primitively-drawn map appeared, directing her to the castle's second floor. Nico lost no time in gathering her things and then exited the classroom.

The message was simple and vague: "ASAP". The map was so-so but it was clear enough to follow, assuming that her friends had done it correctly.

Nico quickly ran through the corridor of the fifth floor, her feet made a tap-tap-tap echo on the flagstone floor.

"Hey, slow down!" a passing Slytherin prefect guiding a bunch of first-years ordered, the younger students flattened themselves against the wall to avoid a collision with her.

"Sorry!" she decreased her speed half a step but as soon as she rounded a corner, she resumed her former pace.

Nico was out of breath when she reached the Grand Staircase and started her descent towards the second floor in a hurry despite of the budding stitch on her side making her stop and pant every five steps.

Gert and Molly were in a deep argument when she found them in the girls' lavatory. They didn't even look up when she cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"I'm here," she said impatiently, raising a brow. "What's happening?"

The ongoing debate paused momentarily, though both girls were still glaring at each other.

"Remember the potion?" Molly asked her.

Nico faltered for a while, she almost forgot about the potion. And it was more than a month since they first discussed about it but she nodded her confirmation anyway.

"It's ready," Gert held up a small copper flask like a prized trophy. "Though I had some of the ingredients bought outside and sent here so you owe me some money.

Plus the backbreaking effort it took us to brew it properly."

"No kidding," Nico reached for the precious liquid, but withdrew her hand almost immediately. "Wait, whose hair did you use?"

Her friends pointed one finger up in unison. Nico looked above instinctively and almost screamed in surprise.

Hovering near the ceiling of the lavatory was a girl in Gryffindor colors. Her hair splaying in all directions, her black robe was floating like a carpet in the air. She still has her school bag slung across her body.

"How in the seven hells is she up there!?" Nico was totally panicking. "Wait- is she unconscious? She is! Bloody hell, you guys!"

Gert clamped a hand over Nico's mouth while Molly shut the door and locked it, then casted a _muffliato_ around the room.

"Shh!" Gert hissed. "Do you want the whole school to know what we've done?" Nico shook her head and grunted weakly.

"Look, the plan did not include this originally, but things didn't work exactly the way we thought it would so we had to improvise," Molly explained calmly. "Don't worry, she's going to wake up in 3 to 4 hours and she's not harmed."

Nico pried Gert's hand away from her mouth. "Who is she?"

"Julie Power," Gert informed her. "We've done a bit of research and we learned that she's a member of Miss Dean's exclusive inner circle. Fortunately, she's not in the Quidditch team because considering your skills with the broom, it's very unlikely you'd want to participate at the upcoming practice."

"I'm not that clumsy with the broom," replied Nico indignantly.

"Right," Gert mocked. "Remember the time you almost dived headfirst to the Whomping Willow?"

"It wasn't my fault," Nico stated in her defense. "That broom was defected." "That's enough," Molly went in between them. “Are we doing this or not?”

“Here,” Gert handed the flask to Nico. “This potion will only give you a few hours since I'm not sure if we really did a good job brewing it," she threw a hostile look at Molly’s direction to which the latter retorted by sticking her tongue out.

"Anyway," Gert continued. "It's more than enough for carrying out the plan. If you don't waste your time idling."

"Okay," Nico accepted the flask with shaking hands.

"Remember to broaden your search for anything that could help you turn the tables on Karolina. Anything at all, the darker the better. Also, do a little snoop around the boys' dormitory."

"Oi," Molly pitched Gert an admonishing look. "Don't pollute Nico's head with your dirty schemes."

"Whatever," Gert rolled her eyes. "Her head's polluted as it is."

"So, are you just gonna stand there and wait for Christmas?"

Nico looked at her friends, then to the copper container in her hand, and uncapped the flask with a sigh.

"Here goes nothing."

The potion tasted a bit like a strawberry-flavored bubble gum, she downed it in one gulp. As soon as she felt like her internal organs decided to throw an impromptu wild party, she sprinted inside one cubicle and stayed there until the transformation was complete.

When she finally stepped out, Gert whistled and Molly nodded her head in satisfaction.

"Good."

"I can't even tell the difference," Gert rounded Nico in wonder - now looking every bit like Julie.

Molly offered her a striped red tie. "Step one, success."

Nico felt peculiar with her new body, though it's not uncomfortable. She checked herself in a mirror and swapped her tie with the Gryffindor one.

"Be careful to avoid any fifth-year Gryffindor students who might engage in a conversation with Julie," Gert told her as she fixed her hair. "They might get suspicious if you failed to provide some information that Julie knows. And don't forget the common room password is Dragon Fire."

Nico nodded and inhaled.

"I'm ready," she said, facing her friends.

"Well," Molly folded her arms and smirked. "Have fun."

+

The journey from the Ravenclaw Tower to the Gryffindor Tower went without a hitch. Most students from the Lion's house were either still having late classes or watching the Quidditch practice.

So far, so good.

Nico was feeling more relaxed when the portrait lady swung open for her when she gave the password, she could almost taste the triumph on her lips. Going through Karolina's stuff shouldn't take a lot of time, and she will have enough until the practice is over.

But coincidentally or not, the first thing she saw when she stepped in the Gryffindor common room was Karolina reading a book in front of the blazing fireplace.

"Blast it," Nico muttered to herself.

Karolina gazed at her from the deep armchair, her long legs folded up comfortably.

"Hi," she greeted.

Nico forced a natural smile, hoping that Julie and Karolina shared a very close relationship.

"Why aren't you at the practice?"

The blue-eyed girl shrugged. "Just taking a break, not feeling it today."

"Oh,"

"Where were you?" Karolina asked back, closing the book. "I was waiting for you."

Nico's chest hammered with nerves, she can't mess this up, it's her first real shot with getting even.

"Around," she answered vaguely, waving her hand.

Karolina was quiet for a while, and then asked. "Have you seen Nico?"

Nico was caught off-guard with this question and choked on her saliva. She coughed several times and cleared her throat. Karolina arched a brow but didn't say anything.

"Sorry," Nico wheezed. "You were saying?"

"Nico Minoru, have you seen her around?" Karolina repeated.

"Uh.. no, not really. Must be in the Ravenclaw Tower?"

Karolina nodded thoughtfully, then opened her book again. Nico was just going towards the staircase of the girls' dormitory when Karolina spoke up.

"I'm running out with ideas. Help me out here, please."

There was an underlying desperation in her tone that Nico had to double back and check if it was really Karolina who said it.

It was so unlike her.

"Is it homework?"

Karolina stared at her for a second and then laughed. "Are you joking? When did I ever need help with school works? I've told you the Sorting Hat would have put me in with the Eagles if I didn't ask to be in Gryffindor."

Nico felt a slight irritation but kept her mouth shut.

"No, I need opinions with this Nico problem."

"I didn't know that Minoru would be a problem for you," Nico replied mildly.

"She is," Karolina dropped the book on the floor and folded her arms, facing the very girl she was asking about.

"I just can't bring her to like me."

This statement brought another cough attack to Nico. She finally took a seat on a couch, drowning in disbelief.

"Have you caught something?" Karolina asked, brows furrowed. "Do you need medicine?"

"I'm alright, I'm fine," she declined, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Anyway," Karolina continued, leaning her head back on the chair. "It’s tiring to think of more different ways on how I could get her to notice me, I need a permanent thing."

"Well, maybe if you'd just stop making her mad and causing her detentions," Nico mumbled.

Karolina shot her a look. "You were the one who gave me that idea."

"I did?"

"Yes."

Oh, wow. Nico thought. That was one stupid suggestion.

"I don't remember," she denied, pretending to think and scrunching her face.

Karolina sighed. "We shared the same compartment on the train when we were first-years and I told you I saw a cute girl. And then you told me that whenever your brother has a crush on someone, he would tease the girl for her to notice him."

It was a long time, then.

"Oh, yeah," Nico feigned agreement, nodding. "I remember now, but I admit that it wasn't a very wise thought."

Karolina rolled her eyes and sighed. "I figured that out, I thought she was gonna attack me that day on the Quidditch field."

"So," Nico grinned to herself, enjoying the moment and the opportunity to learn something. "What are you gonna do about her?"

"I don't really know," Karolina breathed out, almost in frustration. "She's driving me crazy."

"She's driving you crazy?" Nico asked incredulously.

_Seriously!?_

"We've talked about this," Karolina replied blandly. "Don't act so shocked."

Silence reigned in the common room. Only the crackling fire supplying comfortable warmth to the circular room filled the void.

"A room for a better advice?" Nico spoke up, half in question.

Karolina shrugged. "Hit me."

"If you really like her, then just show it," Nico said. "I don't mean giving her flowers or letters or stalking her - that's creepy - just be nice to her."

Karolina nodded. "You have a point."

Nico fought the urge to roll her eyes. _Of course I have a point, I'm the one being discussed._

They fell to a monotonous stillness again, both of them having deep thoughts.

"Check this out," Karolina suddenly broke the silence when she took out her wand and muttered:

_"Avis."_

Tiny birds in varying bright hues erupted from the tip of the polished wood, and then she hummed a small tune; the birds flapped their wings and dived and soared and glided to the rhythm of Karolina's melody.

A smile lit up Nico's face. She was amazed by the show. The birds were graceful and smooth, they were floating almost effortlessly as the air itself. Some flew right around her and danced and changed colors.

"I've been working on this for some time now. You like it?"

Nico nodded distractedly, her eyes following the colorful flock as they rose higher to the ceiling in a spiral form and then vanished to the empty space.

"Do you think she'll like it?"

Nico moved her sight back to the other girl. "Hmm?"

"Do you think Nico will like it?" Karolina asked again quite bashfully.

For the first time, Nico had a chance to really look at Karolina. She's not half-bad when she's decent, and she seems sweet. It would be interesting to see what else is there beneath that tough act she has.

"Yes," Nico smiled at her. "I'm sure she'll like it."

Karolina bit her lower lip and blushed. She then averted her gaze and picked up her book. "Okay, back to work."

Nico chuckled to herself as she got up.

This will be fun.

+

Molly and Gert were already in the Ravenclaw Tower when Nico got back, she had to stay hidden in the Room of Requirements until the potion wore off - it only lasted for several hours - and revert to her own body.

"Oh hello," Molly cheerfully waved at her. "I'm so glad nothing happened to you."

"Where's-" Nico looked around. "Where's the girl?"

"At the hospital wing, we sent her in," Gert responded. "I think she has woken up by now. Turned out she suffered a mild concussion but it's all good."

"She had a concussion?" Nico asked, wide-eyed. "What exactly did you do to her? All we need was a single strand of hair."

"It involved a heavy cauldron," Gert answered vaguely. "Don't worry though, because we've calculated the weight, the force, the gravity and all relevant factors before implementing the plan so she's more or less uninjured.”

"You're way too deep with Muggle Studies," Molly teased Gert. "We use magic, we don't need physics."

"It was interesting," Gert shrugged and then quickly changed the topic. "Wait, what happened back there? Weren't you caught? We didn't expect that Karolina's not gonna show up in practice."

Nico sat down the couch, resting her feet on Molly’s lap. "No, it's all fine."

"And?"

She smiled teasingly, aware that her friends are dying to know what she found. "And what?"

Molly groaned. "Oh, come on."

"Don't tell me you screwed up?" Gert was a little more doubtful, as usual.

"I didn't screw up. True that the plan didn't work because she was there but what I uncovered is going to be more beneficial if I use the information right."

Molly stared at her thoughtfully. "I'm guessing that the information is huge?"

Nico grinned at them triumphantly. "Let's just say that she won't be causing me any distress from now on - or tomorrow, it depends."

"We have a double class with Gryffindor in Astronomy tomorrow evening, so I hope what you say is true," Molly patted her feet. "I can't wait to see what you have plotted."

"Just don't blow it," Gert warned quietly as younger Ravenclaw students piled in the common room. "You still owe me money."

+

The double Astronomy class the next day proved to be interesting.

While the rest of the class was scanning the vast star-filled sky with their telescopes, Nico could hear Karolina and Julie at the other side of the circular Astronomy tower hissing back and forth, as if arguing.

Julie - to their relief - only needed an overnight treatment at the hospital wing. She was released as soon as she was well. Though the cause of her 'accident' has yet to be determined and still under investigation.

Nico managed to creep near the oblivious Gryffindor girls in an attempt to eavesdrop without raising suspicion from the other students and their professor.

"I told you I didn't know what happened," she heard Julie insisted. "I was knocked out and I woke up in the hospital wing. I thought you had Quidditch practice?"

"We had a conversation in the common room," Karolina replied quietly, though Nico could feel the cutting edge of her voice.

"The last time we talked was lunch yesterday, I swear to you."

"And I swear-"

"Dean and Power."

The class hushed as their professor approached the two girls, apparently noticing their debate.

"Would you like to share your conversation with us?"

Both of them bowed their heads in unison. "Apologies."

The professor nodded. "Any more interruptions and I'll be taking points."

The girls separated and Nico took this opportunity to skim over to Karolina.

"Hi,"

The latter was more confused than surprised when she saw Nico being friendly. "Uh, hi?"

"Are you done charting?"

Karolina looked down on her empty star chart. "I haven't started yet."

"Better start," Nico shrugged, turning back her focus to the class work. Or at least she pretended to. She could feel the Gryffindor girl's nervousness swirling with the cold night air around them.

Karolina blinked but didn't speak.

They were halfway in filling their charts when Karolina turned to her.

"I-" she stuttered first, and then cleared her throat.

"I have something to say..."

Nico slightly shifted but didn't totally face her. "To me?"

"Y-yes."

"No need," this time Nico looked at her and smiled. "I already know."

Karolina's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes," Nico grinned mischievously and then walked away. "Some little magic birds told me."

There was a moment of blurriness and then realization hit Karolina hard, her mouth hung open for a second before swearing loudly.

"Bloody hell!"

Their professor sighed gravely.

"Five points from Gryffindor."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a Ravenclaw so you can guess why I put the three of them in that house.  
> I think that Molly would probably be in Gryffindor and Gert in Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw, Karolina will either be in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. I honestly don't know about Nico, she confuses me.


End file.
